Big Gill of the Day was a 9" Class Fish......

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Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on February 18, 2014 at 4:19pm

Thanks guys and as Tony has referenced......my determination to catch quality gills during the winter in my region has been a challenging goal over the years but ideas shared here from successful cold water anglers has provided inspiration and ideas along the way......I have no ice fishing in coastal North Carolina but plenty of creeks and rivers that hold quality fish........What's been interesting is how close to the spawning grounds the fish winter despite having a large range of water available......Some days are still tough with minimal results but I'm never deterred on the water........So despite a lifetime of gill fishing where I often hunted November through February .....it has now been rewarding to fish and catch gills 12 months a year.....I often find more satisfaction personally with catching a dozen in sub freezing conditions now because of the patience and determination it takes.........I've always caught Crappie 12 months out of the year and wonder how often I might have mistaken bluegill as unwilling crappie over the years.......Take Sunday for example, I follow instinct more often than not so when the fish finder went solid at 8 to 10 feet I sent the minnows down and didn't receive a bite on these larger presentations in 41 degree water.......sent a 1/64th jig tipped with a cricket in the same hole and the first gill of 52 smacked the offer before it even settled at that depth.............Just a little food for thought......Every time I fish I learn and keep detailed records in an effort to pattern fish......my winter pages are few but I now talk of taking gills all year long and that's a good thing for someone that always believed your bluegill catch would be higher than the high temperature during spring through fall and lower than the low temperature during the winter......I was excited this weekend catching quality gills in numbers in rather hard conditions......but that's what I like about gill fishing, no matter how often I go I still have fun every time out or I would quit going and that ain't happening!  

Comment by John Sheehan on February 18, 2014 at 12:07pm

Big time snow here too Tooty ! I will be looking at fishing different areas come the melt .Should open up new spots for fish to feed .

Comment by John Sheehan on February 18, 2014 at 12:05pm

Some years are different and easier ,more than others, to complete the task of catching Bluegills all 12 months .We all have to listen and obey Mother Nature's temperament and work with what she decides to do .

Comment by Tony Livingston on February 18, 2014 at 11:42am

I understand Tooty, year-round fishing is tough in our northerly neck of the woods.

Hang in there.....51 degrees and sunny here today, and the snow's a meltin'!!

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on February 18, 2014 at 11:21am

I'M SURE YOU ARE RIGHT TONY, BOUT BEING ABLE TO CATCH EM YEAR AROUND . I wish I was in the position to be able to fish year around , but can't , and I envy you guys with the determination to chase em  under less than Ideal conditions.

  Just me now , I'm too fat , lazy , and #1 afraid of the ice , to chase em year around.  OF course this winter has been brutal here, as it has been in lots of places in the U. S. , and I'm normally consumed with making bugs this time of year anyway. Not this year though ......I can deal with a lot and don't really mind the snow, BUT THE COLD HERE has got me down.
   The big melt started here today after yesterdays 5" of snow and everyone here now is waiting for the floods to follow all this snow. It's going to be something to see buddy .... I guess we have records amounts of snowfall for our region here and it's about 5' now for the winter. Can't imagine what the folks on the east coast are going through right now, and other regions that don't normally get the snow and cold.......
   HOPE ALL MY BBG BUDDIES ARE SAFE AND WARM...........

Comment by John Sheehan on February 18, 2014 at 9:23am

I agree Tony ,ALL YEAR LONG ,same with Yellow Perch, Crappie and Large mouth Bass over here in NJ.

Comment by Tony Livingston on February 18, 2014 at 8:47am

I've said it before, and I continue to say it.....bluegills can be caught year-round if the angler is willing to modify his or her approach, tailor their methods to suit the conditions and the fish themselves, and just get out there. This notion that bluegills have a fishing "season" just doesn't hold water for me. An easier season, perhaps.

I firmly believe that I can go anywhere in the US where bluegills live, and be able to pattern those fish and catch them anytime of the year. Maybe not on the first attempt, or the second, but I'm convinced that if I stick with it, I'll figure them out. It's not because I'm any better angler than anyone here, because I most certainly am not...it's because I make the effort. If an angler chooses not to pursue bluegills year round, then that's fine. I understand that the conditions can be rough for some folks. And that's a personal choice we all have, but the fish are there, and they can be caught, should you change your mind.

Shoot, it wasn't very many winters ago at all that Jeffrey basically stopped fishing after a certain time and began counting down till spring.....all the while I was nudging him to get out there and give it a go.

Nowadays he's still counting down, but he's posting photos of his catches in the meantime.....;)

Comment by carl hendrix on February 18, 2014 at 8:39am

Jeffery has his boat back!!  look out gills!!  real nice gill jeff!!  around here;; thats a super big one!!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on February 18, 2014 at 8:24am

Jeffrey is smashin the gills while the rest of us are just dreaming about it! These are outstanding winter catches, capable from savvy and persistent efforts where ever the ice does not form. With 10 inches of ice, I am looking at 4 to 6 weeks away from an open water catch like this. Bravo!

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on February 17, 2014 at 4:34pm

30 days till spring !!!!!!! Good one Jeffrey it will take more time than that to melt the snow here buddy !!!!!!

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